Rattle



Patented Oct. 9, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BATTLE Oscar E.Magnuson, Davenport, Iowa Application February 24, 1945, Serial No.579,666

3 Claims.

My present invention relates to an article of manufacture sometimesregarded as a toy and sometimes used in connection with musicalinstruments for beating time. These are sometimes spoken of as castanetsand sometimes as rattles.

Among the objects of this invention are the provision of an instrument.of the nature stated which is efficient for the purpose intended; theprovision of an instrument of the nature indicated which is inexpensiveto manufacture, both from the standpoint of material cost and laborcost; the provision of an instrument of the character indicated which iscapable of being assembled in different ways whereby to producedifferent results; and such further objects, advantages, andcapabilities as will hereafter appear and as are inherent in thestructure disclosed herein.

In the drawing annexed hereto and forming a part hereof,

Fig. 1 represents an elevation of one form of this invention;

Fig. 2 represents a face view of one of the clappers;

Fig. 3 represents a face view of the main body; and

Fig. 4 represents an edge view of the unit which ties the other threeparts together.

Referring now in greater detail to the annexed drawing, the main body isdenoted by the numeral I. This body is shown as having an approximatelycentral opening 2 therein for the reception of a crossbar 3 on whichclapper members 4 are freely movable and may be caused to swing back andforth to clap against the sides of the body member i. The clappermembers 4 are preferably approximately the same width and thickness asthe body member I and are provided with openings 5 for the reception ofthe crossbar 3. It is clear from the drawing that the crossbar 3 passesthrough the openings 2 and 5 and secures the clappers to the body memberI so that they are free to move between certain limits. The wooden pins6 fit tightly but removably in holes I in the crossbar 3.

In use, the operator grasps the upper end 8 of the body I. The crossbar3 and clappers 4 will drop until the crossbar rests on the lower end ofthe opening 2 and the upper ends of the 5 openings 5 rest on the bar 3.Then by manipulating the structure in a well known manner, a certainsound will be produced. If, on the contrary, the end 8 is helddownwardly and then the instrument is manipulated in the customarymanner, a different sound will be produced because of the newrelationship which the parts assume with reference to each other.

I have modified the parts of this toy in various ways, all of which arewithin the scope of the present invention which is defined in theappended claims.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. An instrument of the type indicated comprising an elongated flat bodyhaving a longitudinal slot therein spaced from the ends of the body, ashort, flat crossbar mounted in said slot, and a medium length fiat barhaving a slot therein mounted on the short crossbar, said shortcross-bar having transversely extending pins spaced from each other adistance greater than the combined thicknesses of the body and mediumlength bar and of a length sufficient to prevent disconnection of theparts during use, the parts being free of connection other than by thepassage of the short cross-bar therethrough and being so constructed andarranged as to have great freedom of movement when sharply movedtransversely to the plane of the body member, thus allowing the long andmedium length bars to engage each other fiatwise.

2. A toy of the character described comprising three elongated flatwooden members provided with elongated slots for the reception of a flattie member to secure them together in a movable relation, and a flat tiemember passed through the slots and securing the said three memberstogether for movement toward and away from each other, said tie memberbeing free from connection with the middle one of the said flat woodenmembers other than by being passed therethrough and having means forpreventing said flat wooden members from inadvertent disconnection fromthe tie member, said construction, as defined, being such as to allowthe outside members to strike flatwise against the middle member.

3. A structure as defined by claim 2 in which the tie member hastransverse openings through its end portions with wooden pins passedtherethrough outside of the said wooden members to 0 permit them tovibrate relatively to each other and to prevent disconnection thereof.

OSCAR E. MAGNUSON.

